National Center for Home Food Processing and Preservation

1
National Center for Home Food Processing and
Preservation

• Elizabeth L. Andress, Ph.D.
• Extension Specialist and Project Director
• The University of Georgia
• Cooperative Extension Service
• Athens, GA
• September 11, 2001

2
Collaboration

• The University of Georgia Lead Institution
• Department of Foods and Nutrition
• Department of Food Science and Technology
• Department of Housing and Consumer Economics
• Alabama AM University 4-yr Partner
• Department of Food and Animal Sciences
• University of California-Davis
• Department of Food Sciences and Technology
• University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez
• Department of Food Science and Technology

3
Advisory Committee

• Composed of individuals from
• Auburn University
• Clemson University
• Colorado State University
• Cornell University
• Kansas State University
• North Carolina State University
• University of California-Davis
• Washington State University
• Alltrista Consumer Products Company
• National Presto Industries, Inc.

4
Goals

• A National Center for Home Food Preservation was
  initially established
• to update USDA-CSREES canning and freezing
  guidelines and the database supporting such
  guidelines
• to specifically add recommendations that
  emphasize the use of nontraditional fruits and
  vegetables (e.g., tropicals) and popular consumer
  specialty foods such as salsas, relishes, sauces
  and chutneys
• identify future research needs
• finalize a USDA Complete Guide to Home Freezing
  and
• update the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning.

5
Goals, continued

• In Year 2, the goals were broadened to include
• researching and updating other methods of home
  food preservation and
• develop multiple dissemination methods for
  existing and new recommendations.

6
Objectives

• ! Collect and critically review literature
  relevant to home food preservation techniques and
  guidelines.
• ! Update the current guidelines, incorporating
  new or revised recommendations as appropriate.
• ! Develop and test new recipes (products) and
  guidelines on home food processing and
  preservation methods that emphasize (a) popular
  consumer specialty foods (b) safety guidelines
  for processing food in community cannery
  settings and (c) applications of updated
  technology, such as microwave blanching for food
  freezing.
• ! Establish distribution mechanisms for
  dissemination of guidelines.
• ! Identify areas where further research in home
  food processing and preservation techniques is
  needed.

7
Product Development

• Mango salsas and chutney
• Mango relish
• Tomatillo relish
• Spicy jicama and watermelon rind relishes
• Pickled jicama
• Sweet pickles with Splenda
• Jams/jellies with tropical fruits
• Hot pepper sauces
• Lemon curd/butter
• Sauces/marinades

8
Basic Research

• Microbial profiles of selected fresh herbs and
  whole spices used in home preparation of flavored
  vinegars, salsas, oils.
• Supports the use of a chlorine wash to reduce
  loads prior to flavoring vinegars.
• Effect of pressure canner size on heat
  penetration in stewed tomatoes.
• 6 qt and 8 qt cooker, 17 qt canner.
• 15 psig, due to controls on the 6 and 8 qt
  cookers as sold.

9
Other Research Questions

• Documenting effect of fill weight on heat
  penetration in a pickled product (boiling water
  canning).
• Microwave blanching for freezing vegetables.
• Accuracy of metal can recommendations for
  community canneries.
• Accuracy and testing issues with dial gauges for
  canners.
• Survival and outgrowth of C. botulinum in
  garlic/oil products.

10
Surveys

• Survey of State and County Extension Faculty
• Email in March 2000.
• Responses from 225 Extension agents representing
  24 states.
• 45 percent of home food preservation requests are
  for canning, 21 percent for freezing and 12-13
  percent for pickles and jams/ jellies.
• Most requested processes are for condiments.
• Issues regarding processing equipment and
  evaluating recipes were cited by more than 50
  percent of respondents.
• Being used to prioritize work for additional
  laboratory studies.

11
Surveys, continued

• Nationwide telephone survey
• Home canning and freezing practices.
• Original instrument, 10 minute interview.
• 68 closed-response or open-ended questions
• Conducted by the Survey Research Center,
  University of Georgia, in the fall of 2000.
• Cross-section of the adult U.S. population.
• Data obtained from 500 completed interviews, out
  of 1,244 eligible contacts (40 cooperation).

12
Surveys, continued

• Nationwide telephone survey
• Out of the 500 responses
• 27 percent can food.
• 94 percent freeze food other than what is bought
  in the grocery store already frozen.
• Very few aware if directions come from Extension
  Service.
• Improper canning practices cited in many
  categories
• Boiling water canning for vegetables.
• Pressure cookers for vegetables.
• Open kettle canning, oven canning still cited.

13
Surveys, continued

• Nationwide telephone survey
• Still being analyzed.
• Need to do cross-tabulations to look at issues
  such as spoilage by methods used
• Still need to characterize freezing practices.
• Will most likely repeat soon there has been no
  national pubic survey since USDA published in
  mid-1970s.

14
Communications

• Complete Guide to Home Freezing being finalized
  and readied for layout.
• Will be available on-line and perhaps other ways.
• Complete Guide to Home Canning will be updated
  after freezing guide finished.
• 1994 revision is the current version.
• New Center products will be released first on
  website.
• Technical bulletins being written to summarize
  literature searches and critical preservation
  points for various methods.

15
Communications, continued

• Website
• Phase I Resource for the CES.
• Release of National Center guidelines and
  findings.
• Publications, how-to answers, links to the state
  Extension publications.
• Survey and situational information, background on
  USDA roles and publications, slide presentations.
• On-line self-study course for educators.
• Master Food Preserver model curriculum
• Video series (update of So Easy to Preserve)

16
Communications, continued

• Future?
• Website more interactive, responsive to
  inquiries, more links.
• National videoconference for the CES with
  updates?
• Regional/national workshops for Extension
  educators?
• Let us hear from you, the CES!
• If you didnt answer the Extension educator email
  survey and would like a copy to answer, contact
  me.
• Surveys of clientele, outreach and outcome
  reports from states and counties, etc., can be
  shared with others.

17
Elizabeth Andress

• eandress_at_uga.edu
• Georgia Food Preservation publications
• http//www.fcs.uga.edu/extension/food_pubs.php
• http//www.ces.uga.edu/pubs/pubsubj.html - Family
• Look for titles Preserving Food.
• So Easy to Preserve, for-sale publication, 15
• 4th edition is current
• http//www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/uga/publicat
  ions_setp.html

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Disclaimer

• References to commercials products, services, and
  information is made with the understanding that
  no discrimination is intended and no endorsement
  by the University of Georgia, U.S. Department of
  Agriculture and supporting organizations is
  implied.  This information is provided for the
  educational information and convenience of the
  reader.
• Document Use
• Permission is granted to reproduce these
  materials in whole or in part for educational
  purposes only (not for profit beyond the cost of
  reproduction) provided the authors and the
  University of Georgia receive acknowledgment and
  this notice is included
• Reprinted with permission of the University of
  Georgia. Andress, E.L. 2001. National Center for
  Home Food Processing and Preservation. Athens,
  GA The University of Georgia, Cooperative
  Extension Service.
• This material is based upon work supported by the
  Cooperative State Research, Education, and
  Extension Service, U.S. Department of
  Agriculture, under Agreement No. 00-51110-9762.